Supports

Professional individual, couples and group counselling 

*Benefit Covered or Fee for Service. Fees help support the charity's work, ensuring access for underserved communities

*Sliding Scale available for those facing financial barriers as our goal is to make counselling accessible to all

Our Therapists:

Michelle Wikerd, MSW, RSW, PMH-C:

Michelle Wikerd is a Registered Social Worker with a Master’s degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, licensed to provide therapy in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in supporting individuals, couples, and families through life transitions, helping them reconnect with their inner strengths and achieve a sense of wholeness. Her extensive background includes working with diverse community-based organizations, bringing a wealth of knowledge to her therapeutic practice.

A core focus of Michelle’s work is grief and loss support, both in individual and group counseling settings. She has guided numerous clients through their grief, helping them create space for healing while honoring their continued connection with those they have lost. Her expertise extends to supporting caregivers navigating the challenges of loved ones’ health issues, including anticipatory grief. Michelle’s experience also includes counseling at a cancer clinic, where she supported oncology clients and their families at all stages of their cancer journey, fostering resilience and hope.

Michelle’s own journey into motherhood, marked by pregnancy loss and perinatal anxiety, has fueled her passion for supporting families as they adjust to parenthood. She holds specialized training in counseling prenatal and postpartum parents, addressing issues such as birth trauma, loss, and mental health. Michelle is a strong advocate for the healing power of group support and community connection.

Additionally, she is dedicated to supporting parents of neurodivergent children, an area close to her heart as a parent of an autistic child. She is committed to ensuring these families feel seen, understood, and supported in their unique journeys.

Michelle’s approach is trauma-informed, blending a range of therapeutic modalities, including Gottman Method, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness practices. Her clinical expertise, compassionate presence, and genuine care empower clients to deepen their connections with themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.

Lisa Calder, MSW, RSW, RCC, BCRPT:

Lisa Calder is a compassionate and creative Registered Social Worker with over 25 years of experience supporting mental health and well-being in community, hospital, school, and government settings across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and a Post-Master’s Diploma from the University of Calgary. Lisa has also taught Human Services and Social Work at the college level and values ongoing professional growth.

She specializes in play and expressive arts therapy, supporting children, youth, and families navigating grief, trauma, autism, anxiety, and emotional regulation. Lisa is a Registered Play Therapist with the BC Association of Play Therapists and holds an Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) designation. Her approach blends directive and non-directive methods, including sandtray, puppetry, and art-based interventions. She draws inspiration from respected mentors such as Marie-Jose Dhase, Greg Lubimiv, and Lisa Dion.

Her clinical work is trauma-informed and grounded in Attachment Theory, Narrative Therapy, ACT, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and other evidence-based modalities. She is a Registered Circle of Security Parenting Program provider and a service provider with the First Nations Health Authority and Autism Funding Unit. Her services are covered under most extended health plans.

Lisa lives in the Okanagan Valley on the traditional, unceded territory of the Syilx people. Her dog Rolo, a gentle therapy companion, can be requested for visits. Outside of her practice, she enjoys swimming, collage, photography, and travel.

Individual support

Parent coaching 

Workshops 

Peer connection opportunities 

Yearly family wellness retreat

Outreach education promoting emotional literacy that contributes to the mental well-being of children and adolescents, helping them develop resilience and emotional intelligence from a young age.